How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: To determine the association between polypharmacy and medication non-adherence in pregnant women in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by the Department of Community Medicine, Foundation University Medical College, Rawalpindi, over six months. Using non-probability sampling, one hundred and forty pregnant women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy were included in the study. A pre-validated questionnaire, which included informed consent, was used for the data collection. Using SPSS version 26.0, descriptive statistics, chi-square test of association, and logistic regression were performed, with a p-value of <0.05 considered significant.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 30 years (SD + 5.190. Around 22.56% of the respondents reported polypharmacy (> 3 medicines). Of the respondents taking three or more drugs, 60.6% reported non-adherence. The chi-square test of independence showed a significant association between polypharmacy and medication non-adherence (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Polypharmacy plays an important role in medication non-adherence, as established in our study.
Keywords: Iron Folic Acid, Medication Adherence, Pregnancy, Polypharmacy
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